March 7, 2022
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
David Coucheron & Jessica Wu, violins; Zhenwei Shi, viola; Guang Wang, cello; Elizabeth Pridgen & Julie Coucheron, piano
Joseph HAYDN: Piano Trio No. 39 in G major (“Gypsy”), Hob.XV:25
Bedřich SMETANA: Die Moldau (arr. piano, four hands)
Johannes BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
Mark Gresham | 8 MAR 2022
The Georgian Chamber Players presented a concert on Monday at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, featuring well-loved mainstream chamber works by Haydn, Smetana, and Brahms. The performance was both open to an in-person audience and available via livestream. There was one change in expected personnel for the event: cellist Guang Wang of the Vega Quartet substituting for Rainer Eudeikis, but the rest of the players were GCP regulars.
Violinist David Coucheron, pianist Elizabeth Pridgen and Wang opened the concert with Joseph Haydn’s Piano Trio No. 39 in G major, Hob.XV:25 (1795), often called the “Gypsy Trio” as it was on the program list, due to its Rondo finale in “Hungarian” style.
There was happy chemistry between the three musicians in this charming trio. It was a perfect way to brighten up an otherwise gloomy, rainy evening.
Next came a piano four hands transcription of Bedřich Smetana’s The Moldau performed by Pridgen and fellow pianist Julie Coucheron. That English title derives from the German Die Moldau, but it is called Vltava in Czech. Originally for orchestra, it is the second in a set of six symphonic poems entitled Má vlast (“My Fatherland”). The four-handed version for piano is Smetana’s own. The piece is programmatic, following the Vltava river from its origins at a pair of springs to its confluence with the Labe (the Elbe, in German), where it ends.

Elizabeth Pridgen and Julie Coucheron perform a piano four-hand arrangement of “The Moldau” by Bedřich Smetana. (credit: Niki Baker)
The duo played this version quite persuasively. It is attractive and such a joy to hear, it was easy to forget it was originally for orchestra. The piece didn’t need any verbal explanation (which was given in advance), although those unfamiliar with Smetana’s music probably enjoyed the story.
After intermission, the Coucherons, Wang, violinist Jessica Wu, and violist Zhenwei Shi joined forces for the big piece of the evening, the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 by Johannes Brahms.
The entire Piano Quintet is about 45 minutes long, and the “Allegro” opening movement is epic by itself. The contrasting “Andante” second movement is a quiet, romantic intermezzo, followed by a dark and brooding third movement Scherzo (“Allegro”) with a lyrical trio.
The Finale begins with a slow, melancholic introduction (“Poco sostenuto”) followed by a Hungarian-inspired sonata-allegro (“Allegro non troppo”). The extended coda (“Presto, non troppo”) culminates in a fiery outburst of passion, bringing the Quintet to an intense, definitive conclusion.
It was a big, bold, and beautiful way to end the concert. ■
External links
- Georgian Chamber Players: georgianchamberplayers.org

Mark Gresham is publisher and principal writer of EarRelevant. he began writing as a music journalist over 30 years ago, but has been a composer of music much longer than that. He was the winner of an ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award for music journalism in 2003.